The Ekonomist (Equavilent of Times Magazine in Turkey), Dalaman was declared as a 1st degree Tourism Region in the West Coast of Turkey. The new Tourism Project of Dalaman consists of a Marina, Golf Courses, brand new International Airport accessible from UK and Europe, New tunnel to Gocek Marina,which is now open and many other developments which were planned extensively in the Tourism Project.

Also, Adventure Parks, Hobby Gardens, Organic agriculture centers, Education Centers, Recreation centers, Water Sports, Thermal Hotels, Boutique Villas, and Health and Beauty Centers will be included in the project.   The total estimated value of the project is 18 billion  and 3 billion Dollars of the whole Project is allocated for infrastructural developments. The project is due to be completed in 5 years. The total Bed capacity in Dalaman will be 75.000. Therefore, the unemployment level of Dalaman will be much lower than the unemployment level of Turkey.

     The first phase of the investment in the Tourism Project will be opened to investors in 2006. The aim of the project is to increase the quality of tourism in Turkey by making Dalaman a Healthy Living City in the Tourism sector. The main focus of the Dalaman Tourism Project is to attract the American, European and Gulf Countries investors’ to Dalaman.   

     In recent years, as golf courses with international standards have opened up, Turkey has become an elite golfing centre where players from around the world can meet in an environment of quality and prestige. Especially the area of Belek, 30km east of Antalya, where, there is a potential for golf tourism with the unique bonus of the cultural, historical and natural sightseeing of the region. Top-class courses are also being planned for Istanbul, Ankara and Mugla.

     In Turkey, most courses are in the vicinity of tourist resorts, around the coastal regions which have the necessary facilities like accommodation, restaurants and entertainment. The Ministry of Tourism plans to establish another 11 golf courses in these tourist areas. stage.

ABOUT DALAMAN

Dalaman itself is a fast growing Turkish Mediterranean town south of the coastal road. Before, most holiday makers just passed through Dalaman Airport on to their holiday resort.

Through the Government, Dalaman has been declared a protected tourist area. This means that if anyone wishes to invest in an area of Turkey, the Government in Ankara will direct them to these areas. There are strict regulations on buildings, for example, in the town the number of floors can only be a maximum of four, while outside of town they can only be two or three. So it will never lose its wonderful views. Now the Agricultural Ministry has passed ownership of the states’ farm to the tourist industry for elite development. This covers a vast area with a proposed golf course and hotels being built along this beautiful coast. The Mayor welcomes past, present and future investors in this area.

There are serious plans for a new yacht marina to begin being built within this year.

The airports’ new terminal is completed this season. This means direct flights to Dalaman airport from many European cities. The airport will then have a capacity of 10 million visitors. Dalaman airport will have the third biggest international capacity in Turkey. Many tourists will have more opportunities to spend their holidays in and around Dalaman all year round.

One of the most beautiful of all Mediterranean beaches with 10 km of long white sand, crystal blue waters and pine-covered slopes is here in Dalaman. There are many attractions in this one area: Sulphur thermals (i.e. mud baths, skin therapy), rafting on Dalaman River, camping, diving, beautiful beaches, water sport utilities, a lake, hunting and fishing in the river or on the beach.

Dalaman is a very up and coming resort. At the moment the prices for Real Estate investors in big holiday areas are unrealistic. What will happen to Dalaman in the very near future is easy to see.

It is so important to make the right step in the right place. With all the opportunities now coming to Dalaman this is the prime time for clever investing in this beautiful, elite part of Turkey. In and around Dalaman 1000 foreigners have already invested. Dalaman investors know that this is not only a place with an airport, it is also a fantastic holiday resort.

THE GOLF RESORT IN SARIGERME

A golfers dream comes true! Launched earlier this year in January the construction of the Pine Bay Golf Hotel in connection with a luxury 18 hole golf course has finally started in Sarigerme. This project represents the start of a serious phase of golf and tourism investment.

Sarigerme, belonging to the Ortaca district is located on the Lycian coast of South West Turkey where the Aegean and Mediterranean meet, just a short drive from Dalaman International Airport. Along the 8 miles drive passing orange groves, cotton and bloomed sunflower fields, one arrives at the charming village of Sarigerme which welcomes its visitors with an overwhelming richness of nature. The village itself is set back just a half mile from the 6 km stretch of Sarigerme beach with its golden sand, one of the finest beaches of the eastern Mediterranean. Scenic mountain ranges, together with lush greenery and pine covered hills around the village offer breathtaking views across Dalaman valley and the deep turquoise – blue waters of the Mediterranean.

Göcay Tourism Golf Insaat Ltd, a well renowned building company from Ankara, operating in the sector of road construction and investing in tourism plants since 1984, has started to build one of the biggest and modern golf projects in Turkey. Göcay Tourism is operating two 4 star hotels and one 5 star holiday resort in Kusadasi. The giant Sarigerme project comprises a 18 hole golf course, set in an area of 500 acres stretching from the Dalaman creek behind the Pegasus Hotel towards the Akdeniz Cooperative in Fethiye. The Pine Bay Golf Hotel, consisting of two U- shaped complexes, each of which divided into 5 different blocks, will be build between the Dalaman river and the Pegasus Hotel in front line to the beach. The major construction of this project is now under way and will include an integrated holiday resort with numerous health and fitness facilities, spas and water park features, also a fully equipped conference centre and a private marina along the Dalaman river. As a special and unique characteristic of this project and similar to those ones in Florida, smaller yachts can enter through the Dalaman river into an artificial built lake implemented into the golf course around which a number of VIP golf villas are planned to be build. The 5 star Golf Hotel itself will provide a maximum capacity of 1100 beds, beside 200 apartment rooms, a VIP golfers Lounge and a golf Country Club. Special environment protection rules have been taken into consideration without cutting a single of the existing 9943 pine trees on that area. The golf course was designed from the popular golf designer JMC Design Studio from Belgium which has already designed a few golf courses in Portugal and Spain. A purification system is already being build ensuring no waste water pollution into the sea.

The Sarigerme golf hotel is planned to be opened for April 2008 whereas the golf course should follow in the same year. The prestigious Pegasus Resort and Tropical Palace, exclusively contracted to the English tour operator First Choice, has already opened in August 2005. Serving a capacity of 3500 tourists, it is one of the biggest holiday resorts in Turkey. Further more the construction of the Marti and Marina Hotel, also bordering the golf plant with a capacity of 2000 beds, will follow in 2006 and once the golf course is finished there will be an overnight capacity of more than 13000 beds in Sarigerme.

Sarigerme has already developed from a small residential village into a major holiday destination, as considerable tourism funds continue to be invested. Especially local Turkish investors from Ankara have a focus on the area between Dalaman and Sarigerme, as the government is working on a new development plan in Fethiye in the neighbourhood to further future golf courses. It is expected that farming land will change into building land with permission for private and tourist purposes. There are further plans to build a thermal and recreation retirement centre in Fethiye whose 29 degrees hot sulphur spring cure rheumatism and skin ailments. Significant amounts of tourism investment are expected to happen in the near future. This will be reflected by the Dalaman Marina Project which is going to start in 2007. Dogus Holding, which has already build a few marinas along the Turkish coast, beside the Turgutreis Marina in Bodrum, has obtained the tender for this giant marina project. A private group of Arabian investors have inspected the Sarigerme area in November 2005, accompanied by representatives from the Tourism department in Ankara. Subsequently it is expected that land prices in that area are starting to shoot as it happened in the surroundings of Fethiye over the last few years. The first building companies are waiting the new development plan expected to be finished in 2006 and a construction boom might follow over the following years. With the new tunnel connecting Göcek and Dalaman it will be just a 40 minutes drive from Fethiye to Sarigerme and the golf project will serve important tourist centres like Dalaman and Göcek as well.